Automatic controller cut-out



G. M. SHEARER.

AUTOMATIC CONTROLLER CUT-OUT.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.17|T917.

Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

III/I/I/I/I/I/l/I/IIA G. M. SHEARER.

AUTOMATIC CONTROLLER CUT-OUT.

APPLICATION HLED FEB. 17. 1917.

1,362,357, Patented Dee. 14, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- niiiiiiiiiiiiiiim:

lvwenY/or Greer 772. Shad/T67.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GREEK M. SHEARER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRANK H. TAYLOR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC CONTROLLER CUT-OUT.

Application filed February 17, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GREEK M. SHEARER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Controller Cut-Outs; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a novel controller cut-out adapted for any kind of a motor control, either direct current or alternating current of any phase and is ap ilicable for use in connection with cranes, hoists, elevators, electric vehicles and otherwise.

The purpose of the invention is to provide means for making and breaking the circuit exterior to the controller fingers and contacts of the controller in such a way that the circuit is open both at the timewhen the fingers pass on to the first contacts and at the time the fingers leave the contacts so as to thereby avoid arcing at the fingers, and which is particularly likely to occur as the fingers leave said contacts if the main supply circuit is closed, and thereby avoid consequent destructive burning thereof without the necessity of using blow-out coils, insulating barriers and other safety devices within the controller.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel mechanism for mechanically controlling a cut-out switch for opening the circuit exterior to the controller, which mechanism is mechanically operated from the controller actuating device, as the usual hand lever.

Another object of the invention is to provide' a novel switch controlling mechanism of this character which is so arranged with respect to the operative position of the controller fingers that at any instant or at any point in the operation of the controller when the hand lever is moved to shut off power, either forward or reverse, the cut-out switch is actuated to open the circuit and the controller can not again be advanced to pick up the load without return to the off point of the controller. This prevents picking up a heavy load at advanced points and overloading the motor.

Other objects of the invention are to im- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

Serial No. 149,320.

prove and simplify controllers of this character, and the invention consists in the combination and arrangement of the parts shown in the drawings and described in the specification, and is pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of one type of controller, developed in a fiat plane, showing my invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the cut-out switch controlling unit.

Fig. 3 is a side or edge elevation thereof.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are fragmentary plan views, separately shown, of the elements of the controlling unit.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the switch controlling unit.

The controller diagrammatically shown in Fig. 1 is adapted to a three phase motor circuit, but it is to be understood that my improvements may be adapted to any other practical form of controller, whether for alternating or direct current. It is also shown asadapted to a forward and reverse type of controller wherein the operating lever is adapted to be moved from the central or off point of the controller in one direction for forward control and in the other direction for reverse control. The inven tion, however, is not limited to this particular type of controller.

The controller shown in Fig. 1 is developed for an eight point forward and an eight point reverse control and the contact rings 10 are so arranged with respect to controller fingers (not shown) as to be electrically connected to the points 11 in a. familiar manner. From the points 11 the various circuit wires 12 and 13 lead to the resistance elements and to the motor.

14, 1.5 and 16 designate the line wires of a hree phase feed circuit. The wires 14 and 5 are connected in the controller and the lire 16 leads to the motor. Connected in said lines 14, 15 and 16 are contactors or magnetic switches 17, 18 and 19 and blowout coils 17, 1S and 19, the function of which latter is to blow out the are between the contacts of said contactors. Said contactors include closing coils 20, 21 and 22, the functions of which latter are to close and open the main line circuit at said contactors. To said contactors is connected by suitable wiring a switch, designated as a whole by 23, and hereinafter to be described, and which operates the closing coils 20, 21 and 22 to open and close the circuit. Correspending ends of said closing coils are connected in parallel by a wire Qel to the line wire 15, outside of the blowout coils and the other corresponding ends of said closin coils are connected in parallel by a wire 25 with one terminal of the switch The other terminal of the switch is connected by a wire 26 to the other wire ii of the operating circuit which leads to the controller, the connection being outside of the associated blow out coil. The contactors or magnetic switches may be of any preierred type and inasmuch as their function is well understood by those skilled in the art, they need not be further des ribed. The operating; current of the switch 2 3 si cieiitly low to prevent arcing at sai.

d switch by reason of the resistance oi the closing coils inserted therein.

The switch 23 may be of any suitable or preferred type. its herein shown it comprises a fixed block 28 of insulating material, one end or which carries one terminal plate 29 of the switch, to which the wire is connected, and the other end of which carries a terminal plate 30 of the switch to which the wire 26 is connected. 31 designates a switch blade which is pivoted at to the terminal plate 29 and is in cont therewith.

The other end of the switch blade is swinpgable toward and from the terminal plate 30 and when in the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1 is in electrical C i1- tact therewith to close the switch. The 1. switch 23 is a single step switch, in that it acts in one operation or step to out in or cut out the circuit exterior to the control The said switch blade is provided tail piece 33 which is adapted to b nected with an suitable means that 's inechanically operated b the controller leve or by other means by which the c ntroller is actuated, so to swing; the switch blade into its open and closed positions. As herein shown the tail piece of the switch blade is loosely connected to the lower end 0;? a link 35, the upper end of which linl: is loosely connected to one end oi a lever 3". The link may be adjusted as to length by means oi the ri nt and left hand thread nut shown. or otherwise; and said link or its connections with the switch blade or r be provided with an insulating barrier to prevent short circuitiof ent from the switch to metallic par 3' associated with the lever The lever is pivoted between its ends at 3'? to a fixed bracket 38. The other end of said lever 36 associated with mechanically controlled means. that are set in operation by the actuation of the controller drum, so constructed and arranged that when the controller is adjusted with its handle at the off point, the operating circuit is open by reason of the opening oi? the switch 23. When the controller operating handle or lever is operated to turn the controller, either in the forward or reverse direction the controller drum is first rotated to bring the first controller fingers oi? the into contact with their respective controller rings at a time when said rings are dead. and thereafter the mechanical controlling means for t 1e cut-out switch is operated to close the switch 23 and thereby close the main sup ly circuit exterior to the controller. The controller may now be vanccd either in its forward or reverse throw to bring LLAQ successive fingers into contac with their 1' spective contact rings. Said mechanical controlling means for the cutout switch is such, however, that at the in stant the controller is adjusted to reduce or shut off the current the mechanical controllinp; means operates first to open the motor circuit before any of the lingers of the coir troller have broken connection w th their respective controller rings, so that said rings are dead when the contact between them and the fingers are broken. The switch controlling means is also so arranged that the controller can not be again advanced to pick up load without returning the controller to its mid on position and starting all over again from the first point, thereoy preventing the motor picking up a hoary loan at an advanced point.

The mechanically actuated cut-out switch control mechanism tor ell'ecting these re sults, in connection with the lever 36. is he '11 shown as made as follows .uitably connected to the shaft 40 of the cntroller drum are a series of upper, lower e r" intermediate disks 41, d2 and The 1 lower disks are of considerable V mounted concentrically with respect to the shaft l0 of the drum and are iioirrotatively hired to said shaft, they being provided wi r '"terin polygonal openings l-l, l5 and. which iit tie correspondingly shaped portion oi the shaft 40. In some types of controllers the said disks 41)., 4-2 and e3 1112'. be thus mounted on the shaft just benea l: the top plate d8 of the controller casing and between the same and the drum. in other types of controller they may be mounted extor to the controller casing and suitably connected to the drum operating shai. In either event the said disks move in synchronisn with the drum or at like angular distances with the drum in each adjustment of the latter.

The upper disk of the cut-out controlling device is provided in its periphery, at both sides of a centrally disposed raised portion with a series oi ratchet shaped cam projections 51, the wider faces 52 of which are directed away from the central or mid portion 50 of the disk 41. The said wider faces 52 of the cam projections 51 are beveled downwardly and rearwardly as indicated in Figs. 1, 3, 4, and 7. The intermediate disk 42 is provided opposite to the oblique wider faces 52 of the cam projections 51 with notches 54, and the edges of said notches are obliquely inclined to correspond to the inclination of the faces 52 of the cam projections of the upper disk 41. The periphery of the lower disk 13 is plain and concentric to the axis of the disk throughout the principal portion thereof and is formed with a raised portion 56 which lies below the raised portion 50 of the upper disk 41. The intermediate disk 42 in its parts between the notches 54 extends radially beyond the periphery of the lower disk 43 and beyond the cam projections 51 the upper disk. The said upper disk is provided, above the cam projections 51 with a solid flange 57 which extends radially beyond said cam projections, and the lower disk is likewise provided at its lower side with a similar flange 58, so that there is formed between the upper flange 57 and the intermediate disk e2 an annular groove or track, and between said intermediate disk and the lower flange 58 a like annular groove or track. Said flanges 57, 58 may form integral parts of the upper and lower disks respectively or may be formed on plates which are attached in any suitable manner to said disks.

The lever 36 of the controlling niechanism is provided at its end adjacent to the group of disks with a pin 60 which is adapted to extend unto the tracks of the controlling unit thus formed, sait pin as herein shown extending loosely through an opening in the lever 36 and is backed by a spring 61 which urges the pin toward the peripheries of the disks.

The lower disk 43 is provided in the lower track at the sides of its central raised por tion56 with ratchet-like cam projections 59, the wider faces 63 of which are directed toward the central raised portion 56 and beveled or oblique at angles corresponding to the inclination of the cam faces 52 of the upper disk. The said projections 59 are located just below the lower portions of the cam projections 51 of the disk 41 next adjacent to the central or raised portion 50 of said disk and below the corresponding notches 54 of the intermediate disk 42; and the cam faces 63 of said projections 59 hear such relation. to said notches and to the oblique faces 52 of the can: projections 51 that when the disks are rotated in either direction from the central or off position the engagement of the cam faces 63 of said projections guides the pin 60 from the lower track of the controlling unit formed by said disks to the upper track thereof. This has the effect to swing the forward end of the lever 36 upwardly and the rear end thereof downwardly, and said lever acts, through the link 35, on the switch blade 31 to close the blade against the terminal 30 and to thereby, through the switch 23, close the circuit through the coils 20, 21 and 22 of the contactors and close the supply circuit. This action of the switch occurs after the first pair of contact fingers of the controller are brought into engagement with their respective contact rings; the respective contact fingers being brought into contact with said rings as the pin 60 passes by the wider oblique faces of the respective cam projections 51 when moving away from the central raised portion 50 of the disk 41. The controlling unit may be advanced to bring the successive fingers into contact with their respective rings until the highest speed is attained in the usual manner of such controllers.

By reason of the oblique faces of the cam projections 51 in the upper track of said unit, the instant the controller drum is reversed to lower the speed of the motor said oblique cam faces serve to force the pin 60 from the upper track to the lower track of the controlling unit, and said pin acts, through the lever 36 and link 35 to open the switch 23, and thereby to open the main supply circuit. After the pin has been shifted from said upper track to the lower track. which thus causes the operation of the controlling lever and the cut-out switch, the fingers corresponding to the cam projection which have been operative to open the cut-out switch move off their respective contact rings, so that arcing at the fingers and is avoided. W ien the switch 23 has thus been operated to open the control cirruit the pin 60 of the switch controlling device can not he again shifted upwardly into the upper track of the controlling unit until the controller drum actuating handle is again swung to its central or off position and the controller operated again from lowest speed. so that it thereby becomes i the cortroller to be operated load at an advanced point in il hile the controlling unit described is; herein shown as made of a plurality of disks, it will be understood that the same may, within the purview of the invention, be made an integral part with the portions in the upper and lower tracks suitably shaped to constitute the central raised you tions and the oblique cam portions :2 scribed, and with the intermediate flange r provided with the notches 5% desc l:

It will be furthermore under may be employed with other types of con-- trollers and may have other movement of trans on than rotary movement. Furthermore, where it is'not convenient to mount the cut-out switch controlling unit directly on the drum shaft, it may be connected to said drum shaft by any suitable in chan'ic'al means adapted transmit the proper lircction of? movement to the controller unit to actuate the cut-out switch con rolling lever 86 or other equivalent member;

lVhile reference has been made in the specification and in certain of the claims with respect to controlling the cut out switch, so that said switch 23 is open both when the first fingers pass into their contact rin s and when the ringers break contact w tl their rings in' the reversal of the controller. it will be understood that the latter condition is the one which is of real importance when operating with currents normal or the most usable values, inasmuch as the arcing taxes place when the fingers leave their contact rings when operating with current oi varying strength, while such airing does not occur when the fingers move to the tact rings with the supply circuit closed unless the current is very heavy.

It is also to be understood that the various details of construction shown may be otherwise varied within the spirit and of my invention and that the invention is not limited to such details, except as to t e claims wherein the claims are spcciiica set forth, and as imposed by the prior :11 L.

The subject matter disclosed relating to the circuit connections between the teed and controller circuits and the controlling switch are not herein claimed but are made the subject of a divisional application tiled on the fifth day of April, 1919, Serial Number 287,860.

I claim as my invention:

1. he combination with a motor controller embracing a movable controller member, its contact points and its manual operating device, of a low amperage switch adapted to control a feed circuit through said points, and a controller element in fixed relation to said points and operable through said manual operating device for said controller member and having a positive mechanical connection to said switch and operating to close and to maintain the switch closed between speed changes of the con troller.

2, The combination with a motor controller embracing movable controller mem ber, its contact points and its manual operating device. of a low amperage switch adapted to control a feed circuit through said points, and a controller element operable through said manual operating device for said controller member and having a positive mechanical connection to said switch and opcrating to close and to maintain the same closed between speed changes of the conller, and constructed with means to mainain the feed circuit closed throughout a continuous sweep of the controller element from low to high speed and to open the feed circuit upon return of the controller member from any point of its sweep before a contact point has been separated from its cooperating contact point.

The combination with a motor con-- troller embracing a movable controller memer, its contact points and its manual operating device, of a low amperage switch adapted to control a feed circuit through said points, and a controller element operable through said manual operating device for said controller member and having a positive mechanical connection to said switch and operating to close the same and maintain it closed between speed changes of the controller, and constructed with means to open said switch only when said controller neinber is reversed prior to separation of a contact point with its cooperating contact point, and to permit said switch to be again closed only when the controller member is returned to oil position and again advanced toward high speed.

l. The combination with a motor controller embracing a movable controller member and its contact points, of a low amperage switch adapted to control a feed circuit through said points, a controlling element niov ble in synchronism with said member, means providing a positive mechanical connection between said element and said switch, said controlling element and connecting means being constructed to control said switch to maintain it closed between speed changes of the controller to thereby maintain the feed circuit closed through said contact points throughout a continuous sweep of the controller member from low to high speed and to open the feed circuit upon return of the controller member from any point of its sweep only before a contact point has been separated from its cooperating contact point.

The combination with a motor contr ller embracing a movable controller member and its contact points, of a low amperage switch adapted to control a feed circuit through said points, a controlling element movable in synchronism with said member, means providing a positive mechanical conti on between said element and said switch, 5 ,lti controlling element and connecting means being constructedto control said switch to maintain it closedbetween speed changes of the controller to thereby maintain the reed circuit closed through said contact points throughout a continuous sweep of the controller member from low to high speed and to open the feed circuit upon return of the hill controller member from any point of its sweep only before a contact point has been separated from its coiiperating contact point, and means permitting said switch to be again closed only when the controller mem ber and said switch controller element are returned to off position and again advanced toward high speed.

6. The combination with a motor controller embracing a movable controller mem-- ber and its contact points, of a low amperage switch adapted to control a feed circuit through said points, a controlling element movable in synchronism with said member, and means providing a positive mechanical connection between said element and said switch, said controlling element and connect ing means being constructed to control said switch to maintain the feed circuit closed through said contact points throughout a continuous sweep of the controller member from low to high speed and to open the feed circuit upon return of the controller member from any point of its sweep before a contact point has been separated from its cooperating contact point, and constructed to close said switch after the low speed contacts are brought into engagement in the advance movement of the controller member.

7. The combination with a motor controller embracing a rotating controller member and its contact points, of a low amperage switch adapted to control a feed circuit through said points, a controller element fixed to rotate with said member and having controlling cams appropriated one to each of said contact points, and means providing a positive mechanical connection between said element and said switch and operated by said cams, said cams operating on said connecting means to open said switch upon re turn movement of the controller member from any point of itssweep, and to again close said switch only after the controller member has been returned to off position and again advanced toward high speed and to maintain the switch closed between speed changes of the controller.

8. Controlling mechanism for the controlling switch of an electrical controller comprising a controlling unit, having spaced tracks, a member having means to connect it to said switch and provided with a projection adapted to separately enter said tracks and cams in said tracks to shift said projection from one track to the other.

9. Controlling mechanism for the controlling switch of an electrical controller comprising a controlling unit, having spaced tracks, a member having means to connect it to said switch and provided with a projection adapted to enter said tracks and cams in said tracks to shift said projections from one track to the other, said tracks and cams being so arranged that when said projection is shifted from one track to the other it can reenter the first track only after the said unit has been returned to off position.

Controlling mechanism for the controlling switch of an electrical controller comprising a rotative member provided with spaced tracks and with cam projections in said tracks, an oscillating member having means to connect it to said switch, and a projection in said oscillating member adapted to enter said tracks and to be shifted by said cam projectionsfrom one track to the other.

11. Controlling mechanism for the controlling switch of an electrical controller comprising a controlling unit, having spaced tracks, a member having means to connect it to said switch and provided with a projection adapted to engage said tracks, one of said tracks being provided with a series of cams for contact with said projection and appropriated to the respective points of the controller and over which said projection rides in the advance of the controller from low to high speed, said cams being shaped to shift said projection from one track to the other when said controlling unit is reversed and to permit said projection to enter the first mentioned track only when the controlling unit has been adjusted to off position.

1 Controlling mechanism for the controlling switch of an electrical controller comprising a controlling unit, having spaced tracks, a member having means to connect it to said switch and provided with a projection adapted to engage said tracks, one of said tracks being provided with a series of cams for contact with said projection and appropriated to the respective points of the controller and over which said projection rides in the advance of the controller from low to high speed, the cams of the latter track being shaped to shift said projection to the other track upon reverse movement of said unit, and the latter track being provided with a cam to shift said projection therefrom to the other track in the initial movement of said unit.

13. In a controller, a movable controlling unit provided with spaced tracks, and a member adapted to enter said tracks for operating a cut-out switch, one of said tracks being provided with an off-point face and with cams to correspond with the respective points of the controller, and the other of said tracks being provided with an off-point face and with a cam to shift said projection from the latter track to the other track, and the cams of the latter track being so shaped that reverse movement of said unit serves to shift said projection from the last named track to the other track.

14:. In a motor control, a rotative drum type controller member having contact points adapted by rotative movement thereof to be progressively shifted into contact with fixed contact points from low to high speed, a low amperage controlling switch for a feed circuit, a cammed unit operatively connected to and actuated in synchronism with said controller member, and a swinging member coacting with and actuated by said cammed unit and providing a positive mechanical connection for controlling said switch to maintain it closed between speed changes of the controller.

15. Controlling mechanism for a low amperage controlling switch of an electrical controller, comprising, in combination, a rotative controller member having contact points adapted by rotation of the member to be progressively shifted in contact with fixed points from high to low speed, a controller unit fixed to and rotating with said member, and means providing a positive mechanical connection between said unit and said switch constructed to maintain said switch closed through'the range of said controller member from low to high speed.

16. Controller mechanism for the controlling switch of an electrical controller comprising ,a rotative unit having peripheral, spaced tracks, cam elements in said tracks,

and a connection between said switch and unit having a projection adapted to enter said tracks and to be deflected by said cams from one track to the other.

17. Controller mechanism for the controlling switch of an electrical controller comprising a rotative unit having peripheral, spaced tracks, cam elements in said tracks, one corresponding to the off-position of the controller and the other as a series angularly spaced to correspond to the points of the controller, and a member connected to said switch and having a projection adapted to enter said tracks and to be shifted from one track to the other by the off-position cam element, and to be shifted from the latter track to the first track by the other cam elements of the series.

In witness whereof I claim the foregoing as my invention, I hereunto append my signature in the presence of .two witnesses at Chicago, Illinois, this 5th day of February, 1917.

GREEK M. SHEARER.

Witnesses W. L. :HALL, A. E. VVALBRIDGE. 

